4/17/12: Scouts tend to group top high school right handed pitching prospects into two different groups. You have the group that tends to be 6-foot-3 or shorter in height and are physically mature, throw with some effort and feature consistent plus present stuff. Lance McCullers (Tampa Jesuit HS, FL) and Lucas Sims (Brookwood HS, GA) are two standout examples of this group in the 2012 high school class.
The other group tend to be 6-foot-4 or taller with some physical projection left, throw with long loose actions and less effort, and while they will flash plus stuff at times, will more often pitch with present average big league raw stuff that will likely improve in the future with additional strength and delivery adjustments.
Then there is the Lucas Giolito group, which is a whole different category unto itself and a different story altogether.
Ty Buttrey from North Carolina belongs firmly in the second group as a 6-foot-6, 210-pound right hander with a sometimes intimidating combination of physical size and stuff. He compares best to Florida right handers Walker Weickel and Zach Eflin in the 2012 high school class and should be picked in the same general area of the draft.
Buttrey’s pitching mechanics are a bit unusual in that he has a very early turn and pivot in his delivery that sometimes leaves him out of rhythm and opening up his front side early as he drifts to the plate. I can see a professional pitching coach trying to get him to stay above the rubber longer and do so with more of a one-piece continuous close and open movement than what he does now.
Buttrey’s arm action is quick and smooth, though, and when his timing is on target he throws with a pronounced downhill angle from a high three-quarters release point. His fastball sat in the 90-93 mph range during last summer’s showcase season but started topping out at 94-96 mph early in his starts this spring, something the scouts were anxious for and happy to see. Buttrey’s fastball gets occasional arm side run when he’s down in the strike zone and hitters don’t seem to see the ball very well coming out of his hand and are frequently late starting their swings. He can do a better job of pitching down in the strike zone, not an uncommon problem for a 6-foot-6 teenage pitcher.
Both of Buttrey’s secondary pitches are solid offerings and offer potential plus futures. He throws a knuckle curveball in the 75-78 mph range that is big and hard at times and is helped by the downhill angle on release. Buttrey will hang the pitch at times when he drifts out front in his delivery and his arm lags behind, but it lacks any hump when thrown properly to the bottom of the strike zone. His 80-82 mph changeup has nice arm speed on release, some dive and sink when down in the zone and he has confidence in the pitch.
Buttrey plays on one of the top high school teams in the country, Providence (17-1 in mid-April, 10th in the PG National rankings) and is athletic enough to play the outfield when he’s not on the mound. He turned 19-years old at the end of March so he’s somewhat older than most of his peers in the 2012 class and would be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2014 should he bypass professional baseball this summer and attend Arkansas.

Ty Buttrey is a 2012 RHP with a 6-5 205 lb. frame from Matthews, NC who attends Providence HS. Long limbed projectable build, plenty of room to add strength. Full arm circle and extended arm action, high 3/4's arm slot, good flow and pace to delivery, stays balanced and on line. Fastball to 92 mph with low effort release, velocity comes easy, fastball mostly straight now and will need to add movement. Curveball is big and hard with nice spin and sharp bite, potential plus pitch. Shows good feel for change up, nice arm speed and some late sink. Three solid present pitches and projects in all areas, has improved FB velocity 5 mph in the last year. 7.29 runner who showed his arm strength from the outfield. Good student, verbal commitment to Arkansas. Potential high ceiling talent with development.

Ty Buttrey is a 2012 P/OF with a 6'3'', 175 lb. frame from Mattews, NC who attends Providence. Tall athletic build, body projects well, short easy arm action on the mound, high 3/4 arm slot, good downhill plane, changes speeds well, feel for curveball, around the plate, good hitting approach, shows good bat speed, balanced, has good hitting tools to work with, high energy player in the field, clean actions, feet work, solid student.